LOS ANGELES -- Volvo Cars has entered the electric vehicle market with a safe choice: a crossover.
The XC40 Recharge, unveiled here Wednesday, is a modified version of Volvo's XC40 compact crossover. In place of the the four-cylinder engine it has a 78-kilowatt-hour battery.
The dual-motor XC40 Recharge is expected to arrive at dealers in Europe and the U.S. in the second half of next year. The EV delivers up to 408 hp and 660 newton meters of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds. It has a range of more than 400 km ( 248 miles) under WLTP testing rules, Volvo said.
The battery charges to 80 percent of its capacity in 40 minutes on a fast-charger system.
The XC40 EV is the vanguard of a series of emissions-free models from Volvo, which wants full-electric vehicles to account for half of its global sales by 2025 with the rest hybrids. Over the next five years, Volvo said, it will launch one full-electric vehicle every year.
"We have said this several times before: For Volvo Cars, the future is electric," CEO Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.
Volvo said Recharge will be the name of its subbrand of full-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Plug-in hybrids are expected to make up 20 percent of Volvo's sales next year.
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The automaker expects to triple production capacity of its electrified cars.
Sales leader
Volvo's decision to enter the EV market with a crossover is a nod to the market reality: European families are abandoning sedans and wagons for roomier, more flexible rides.
The XC40 Recharge will compete for market share with electric crossovers from Audi, Jaguar and Tesla.
Volvo's decision to base its first electric vehicle on the XC40 is strategic. The XC40 was Volvo's fastest-growing model in the Europe in the first eight months -- up 109 percent from the prior year, with 50,861 sales.
Google partnership
The XC40 Recharge debuts Google's Android-powered infotainment system that integrates Google Assistant, Google Play Store, Google Maps and other services.
Embedding Google's technology into the infotainment system is a shift for automakers, as most currently limit access to just Android Auto, allowing the driver to view and use apps on the vehicle's touch screen after plugging in a smartphone.
Google Assistant will allow drivers and passengers to control vehicle temperature, set a destination, play their favorite music and dictate text messages.
The electric XC40 is the first Volvo to receive software and operating system updates over the air — a feature popularized by Tesla and one that is gradually spreading across the auto industry.
The XC40 Recharge also will be the first Volvo equipped with a new advanced driver-assistance system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors.
